Following a successful initial partnership, BBC First has announced that Cunard is to renew its relationship as channel sponsor of the premium drama channel.

Over the period of the original sponsorship, BBC First has continued to go from strength to strength with commercial audiences up 11 per cent year on year.

The new deal includes sponsorship of a number of highly anticipated drama premieres including World on Fire, starring Academy Award-winner Helen Hunt (featured image) (As Good as it Gets) and Sean Bean (Game of Thrones), The Victim starring Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire) and the latest series of Shetland with Douglas Henshall.

World On Fire is an epic, heart-stopping, multi-stranded drama following the first year of World War II through the intertwining fates of ordinary people from Britain, Poland, France, Germany and the United States as they grapple with the effects of war on their everyday lives.

Award-winning writer Peter Bowker tells the hidden stories within the big historical events that we think we know, the stories of loyalty and brutality, courage and fear, love and loss and hopes and dreams forged in extraordinary times.

In The Victim, Kelly Macdonald plays Anna Dean whose son was murdered 15 years ago.

Now she is accused of revealing his killer’s new identity online and conspiring to have him murdered.

Family man Craig Myers is viciously attacked after being identified online as a notorious child murderer.

Is he a convicted killer or simply the tragic victim of mistaken identity?  Who is really the victim?

The sponsorship will also cover curated programming stunts with some of the channel’s biggest shows including every series of the perennially popular Death in Paradise and literary adaptations encompassing War and Peace, Les Misérables, The Miniaturist, Patrick Melrose, The Night Manager and The Little Drummer Girl.

The renewal will continue to see BBC Studios’ produce a suite of assets that will give Cunard the ability to align their brand seamlessly into premium environments across BBC First’s TV and social platforms.

These include integrated billboards, partnership spots and behind-the scenes footage.

Head of Brand Partnership and Channels Advertising, BBC Studios AUNZ head of brand partnerships and channels advertising, Kirsty Muir said: “We’re delighted that Cunard has decided to renew its channel sponsorship of BBC First, demonstrating the success of the initial agreement.

“Cunard is a luxury travel brand which fits perfectly with the premium offering of the channel.”

MCN head of global partners, Sarah Lattouf said: “The Cunard brand aligns seamlessly with BBC First’s premium content, allowing it to connect with the right audiences through powerful and emotive content executions.